lecture 7- social influence

social influence

refers to many ways people affect one another

• involves changes in attitudes and behavior resulting from comments/actions/presence of others

social learning theory

many animals, including humans, can learn by watching others

chameleon effect

unconscious mimicry of the nonverbal mannerisms of an interaction partner

• Chartrand and Bargh (1999) → Chameleon effect study

group pressure (Asch, 1956)

“what circumstances lead people to follow group pressure?”

• participants were asked same question in group of confederates, but all confederates responded w/ wrong answer

• results → 35% conformed overall, 75% conformed at least once

conformity

a change in behavior to be in line w/ the majority

why do people conform?

• informational influence

• normative influence

informational influence

social influence where individuals change beliefs or behaviors b/c they perceive others as having more accurate info, knowledge, or expertise

• others provide info

• leads to internalization (private acceptance)

normative influence

type of social influence where individuals conform to norms, beliefs, or behaviors of a group to gain social acceptance or avoid social disapproval

• we feel pressure to fit in (try to be normal)

• leads to public compliance (no internalization)

  • ex: Asch study

when do people conform?

• group size

• unamity

• anonymity

• status and experience

• culture

• gender

group size

3-4 people allows greatest conformity

• Milgram’s Looking at Nothing study

  • less people looking up → only 40% of passer-bys conformed

  • 4 people looking up → 80% conformed (also looked up)

unamity

if there is even 1 dissenter, conformity decreases

• ex: Asch studies (when one person dissented, conformity dropped to 5%)

anonymity

responding in front of group members makes conformity more likely

• if responding anonymously, less likely to conform

status and experience

if group members are high in status and experience, more likely to conform in front of them

culture

interdependent cultures → more susceptible to information and normative social influence

gender

• women conform more in stereotypically male domains

• men conform more in stereotypically female domains

compliance

responding favorably to a direct request (not a demand) made by another person

compliance techniques

• foot-in-the-door effect

• door-in-the-face effect

• low-balling

• reciprocity

• appeal to norms (descriptive/prescriptive norms)

foot-in-the-door effect

if someone agrees to a small request first, they’re more likely to comply later w/ a larger request

• Freedman and Fraser (1966) - Drive Carefully Study

  • no initial request → 17% agreed to big request

  • small request first (petition) → 76% agreed

door-in-the face effect

if someone turns down a large request first, they’re more likely to comply w/ a more reasonable request

• Blood Donor Study

  • donate blood for long-term? then: donate blood tmr? → 50% agreed

  • only: donate blood tmr? → 32% agreed

low-balling

people who agree to an initial request maintain commitment when the request increases

• Cialdini et al. (1978)

  • agreement increased from 24% to 56% w/ initial commitment

reciprocity

the expectation that people will help those who have helped them

• tit for tat

descriptive norms

what are most people actually doing?

• actually doing, not what they should be doing

prescriptive norms

what should people be doing?

• what they should be doing, not what they are actually doing

obedience

a change in behavior in response to a command from someone in a position of authority

Milgram (1974)

obedience study

• cover story: effects of punishment on learning

  • instructed to give shocks for incorrect responses, 15 volts to 450 volts

  • results → 65% went to 450 volts

altering obedience

• characteristics of authority figure - strength and distance

• characteristics of situation

  • emotional distance (remote shock = 100%, hold hand to shock plate = 30%, other flipping switch = 93%)

  • institutional authority (higher authority/reputation = more obedience)

  • presence of resistors (reduces obedience)

reactance

a motive to protect one’s sense of freedom; arises when freedom feels threatened

• occurs when we feel someone is trying to limit choices or decisions

  • response to a threat to our freedom